An estimated 10,000 tourists have been ordered to evacuate an island on North Carolina's Outer Banks after a construction company caused a power outage, leaving people stranded without air conditioning or places to eat.

The evacuation order issued for visitors to Ocracoke Island in Hyde County went into effect at 5 p.m. Thursday. Officials say no one will be allowed onto the island unless they can prove residency.

Hyde County public information officer Donnie Shumate says there are some 10,000 visitors on the island. He said the main concern was for their safety, adding that officials want to get visitors off the island by noon Friday. The outage comes during peak tourist season, which runs from mid-June through Labor Day.